[Ag-eq] german shepherds

[Nella Foster]

Fred:

Your dog sounds so neat!  I bet he's a real character.

I've never had a German Shepherd as a guide dog, only as pets.  I love the 
breed.  They are very smart, energetic, but sensitive.  I agree with you 
that they aren't for everyone.  They need to be kept busy; if not they will 
get themselves into trouble!

Unfortunately there has been a lot of bad breeding over the years and they 
are prone to many health problems.  I thing bad breeding has also caused 
some undesirable temperaments.

They can be quite protective; they were bread to keep predators away from 
live stock.  My shepherds know what is their property and will let me know 
if anyone or anything is threatening.

Nella
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred C" <regenerative at earthlink.net>
To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 11:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] german shepherds


>
> Hi,
>
> Some schools still do German shepherds.  Guide Dogs for the Blind,  the 
> largest guide dog academy in the US will do German shepherds upon 
> request.  The German shepherd is a very bright dog, and usually  requires 
> an experienced assertive handler.  Reasons that GDB scaled  back on the 
> shepherds, and do labradors almost exclusively is that  labs are easy to 
> train, love to work, and the general public isn't  afraid of them.  They 
> are kinda like the Volkswagon of guide dogs.  A  fairly novice dog handler 
> can pick up the harness, get around, and be  safe.  German shepherds 
> usually like to walk faster, too I've heard.   In urban settings, handlers 
> often request shepherds because they are  better at plowing through crowds 
> on sidewalks.  Partly because of  public perceptions, and partly because 
> the breed is generally more  assertive.
>
> I've got a cross between an English yellow lab and an American  yellow. 
> People often ask if he is a pit bull labrador cross.  His  head has more 
> of a teddy bear shape, with smaller ears, shorter  snout, etc.  He scares 
> people who are used to pit bulls, since he is  used to making eye contact. 
> Sometimes, when I board a bus or a  train, women gasp, children shriek, 
> and within the couple seconds it  takes to flash my pass to the driver, 
> the whole front of the bus is  empty.  OTOH:  people who are used to labs 
> flock to him.  Waiting for  lights at corners, or standing in line, we are 
> frequently mobbed.
>
> I felt that I had to make a sign, since none of the signs I could  find 
> online seemed appropriate.  The sign helped for almost a year.   Then we 
> crushed it.  The sign read, "IGNORE ME I'M WORKING."  All the  other signs 
> were too wordy, were not phrased with human psychology in- mind, and 
> seemed like they would take too long to read.  Not that I  need help, but 
> he is a total chick magnet, too.  Guys, gals, and  children of all ages 
> seem to gather whenever we pause.
>
> The best thing about a dog is that I get around so much better off 
> pavement.  Walking through mulch, cobbles, gravel, sand, boulders,  around 
> gardens, ponds, farms, etc. I don't get my cane stuck.  Hiking  is so much 
> easier with a dog.  Stream crossings are still tough.  He  doesn't like to 
> get his feet wet, so it is a struggle of wills until  I shove him into the 
> water.  Then, he'll guide me across the stones,  log, or whatever.  He can 
> even climb ladders behind me.  His puppy  raisers taught him how to climb 
> ladders, walk along suspended 2x4's,  and other agility dog skills.
>
> That's my 2-cents!
> Fred, near San Diego
>
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